First-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, featuring a first person perspective, with which the player views the action as if through the eyes of the protagonist and in which the primary element is combat based around shooting. The genre can also fall under the wider definition of shooter game, which in turn falls under action game. First person shooters employ both science fiction and real world settings and may feature realistic design or more stylised gameplay. From the genre's inception, advanced 3d graphics elements have challenged hardware development, and from the release of Doom onward, multiplayer gaming has been integral.
Though the first person shooter has since been traced as far back as Maze War (development of which began in 1973 with an unknown completion date) and Spasim (completed in 1974), 1992's Wolfenstein 3D is generally credited with inventing the genre proper and was the basic template on which subsequent games were based. Doom, released the following year, was the progenitor of the genre's wider popularity and was perhaps the most important and influential first person shooter, particularly with regards to multiplayer. Half-Life, released in 1998, had enhanced narrative and puzzle elements, and along with its sequel (Half-Life 2, released in 2004), is one the genre's highest points to date.[1][2] GoldenEye 007 (1997) was the first landmark FPS for home consoles, with the Halo series becoming the most popular and critically acclaimed console titles. In the new millennium, the first person shooter is one of the most popular and fastest growing video game genres.[3]